Action Alerts – Better Housing by Design

By 5:00pm June 25, 2018:

The public comment deadline for the Proposed Draft of Better Housing by Design, the project covering reforms to Portland’s multi-dwelling (apartment) zones, has been extended! We now have 5:00pm on Monday June 25 to submit comments.

There are two ways to testify:

1. ON JUNE 12, attend the Planning & Sustainability Commission hearing to testify in person(4:00pm, 2305 SE 82nd Avenue), or

Member organizations discussed the Proposed Draft, and together we penned this coalition feedback letter. As always, many coalition members will also submit their own additional comments focused on their area(s) of expertise.

Help make sure that we’re adding enough homes, and adding homes at price-points that more Portlanders can afford.

So far, we believe the following changes are necessary to improve the proposal’s ability to meet these goals:

Summary of Key Recommendations:

Increase maximum Floor Area Ratios (FARs) and bonuses in RM1, RM2, and RM3 so that there is a discernible difference between standards currently being proposed for Portland’s neighborhood residential zones and denser multi-dwelling zones.

Increase densities so that truly multi-dwelling developments will occur in the relatively little amount of space where these zones are mapped.

Ensure that affordable housing development is feasible in East Portland: Don’t layer on so many conditions in pursuit of perfect urban form that affordable housing development is stymied. Also, consider spending increased staff time, attention, and resources on how to encourage affordable housing development and form appropriate for East Portland over spending additional resources on Inner Ring neighborhoods.

Map more higher-density multi-dwelling zones along key corridors. There are a few places in particular where up-zoning would help implement the Comprehensive Plan.

Ensure that more rental housing will be provided, not just for-sale: The City-commissioned economic analysis found that for-sale homes might be more feasible than rental homes under regulations as currently proposed.

We have until 5:00pm on Monday, June 25 to submit testimony on the Proposed Draft to the Planning & Sustainability Commission. To compare changes between current code and this Proposed Draft, see this helpful development standard comparison summary.

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